Sokoto government seals ADC campaign office

Spread the word The Sokoto state government has sealed one of the campaign offices of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing an unresolved ownership dispute over the property, amid growing political tension following allegations of attacks on the party’s supporters and governorship candidate.

The Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barrister Nasiru Dantsoho, announced the closure on Monday, November 2, 2026, saying the government took the action to protect lives and property after a recent disturbance involving ADC supporters and some persons he described as miscreants.

Dantsoho said a review of the building’s certificate of occupancy and other relevant documents showed that the property originally belonged to the defunct Savannah Bank, with no official record indicating a change of ownership, blueprint reports.

He disclosed that the state government had written to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), which he identified as the custodian of the property, to clarify its current ownership but had yet to receive a response.

According to him, the government decided to seal the premises pending the clarification to prevent further disturbances and safeguard lives and property.

“Following a review of the certificate of occupancy and other relevant documents, we discovered that this property belongs to the Savannah Bank, and that ownership has not changed as of today,” he said.

The commissioner urged anyone claiming ownership of the building to submit relevant documents for verification, adding that the property could be released to its rightful owner once the ownership issue was resolved.

He, however, maintained that the premises would remain under government control until the matter was settled, warning that anyone who attempted to forcefully gain access would face legal action, including prosecution.

The sealing comes against the backdrop of escalating disagreements between the ADC and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto, with the opposition party accusing state-linked security outfits and suspected political opponents of targeting its members.

On October 28, ADC supporters, including women, reportedly held a solidarity march in the state capital. The party later alleged that the procession was attacked, leaving some participants injured, while mobile phones were allegedly stolen and vehicles damaged.

The ADC also claimed that its state campaign office was attacked on the same day, with windows, doors and other property vandalised. Three motorcycles were reportedly destroyed during the incident.

The party’s governorship campaign director, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, made the allegations while addressing journalists at the party’s secretariat on Sunday.

He accused personnel of the Sokoto Marshal and the Sokoto State Community Guard of involvement in the attacks and called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate.

The police had earlier confirmed receiving information about the confrontation involving ADC supporters and said officers were deployed to the area. The command also said it was investigating the incident.

Tension heightened further on Friday, October 30, following an incident involving the convoy of the ADC governorship candidate, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, near the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto.

Dan’iya alleged that personnel of the Sokoto Marshal and the state Community Guard blocked his convoy at about 9pm, shortly after he escorted former Governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to the airport for his return journey to Abuja.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, the candidate claimed that the security personnel refused to allow his convoy to proceed, allegedly insisting that they were acting on instructions from above to prevent ADC members from entering the state.

He further alleged that the confrontation escalated after efforts by his security team to resolve the disagreement failed, resulting in gunshots being fired and damage to his vehicle.

The candidate also claimed that two DSS operatives attached to his security detail were detained during the incident. He said he escaped unhurt and called on the police, DSS and other relevant authorities to investigate the incident.

Dan’iya additionally alleged that ADC-branded vehicles were being stopped at entry points into the state, raising concerns about the freedom of movement of party members and supporters.

However, the allegations of restrictions on ADC members entering Sokoto have not been independently established.

The Sokoto State Police Command confirmed that it was aware of the incident and had commenced an investigation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmed Rufai, told Blueprint that the command would issue an official statement after establishing the facts. He also said the police could not ascertain the separate allegation that ADC members and vehicles bearing the party’s insignia were being prevented from entering the state.

The state chapter of the APC has dismissed the allegations surrounding the convoy incident as fabricated claims intended to attract public sympathy and discredit the state government.

The APC chairman in Sokoto, Alhaji Haruna Adiya, questioned the ADC’s account and disputed claims that personnel of the state-owned security outfits detained DSS operatives.

Adiya explained that the security deployment was connected to preparations for a traditional title conferment ceremony scheduled for Sunday, November 1, which he said was expected to attract prominent personalities from different parts of the country.

He maintained that the arrangements were intended to ensure the safety of residents and visitors and were not designed to obstruct the ADC’s political activities.

The state government had also denied allegations that it directed hotels to reject ADC delegates travelling to Sokoto for the party’s planned presidential campaign flag-off.

The ADC had claimed that some government-owned hotels declined to accommodate its guests, while private hotel operators were allegedly pressured to cancel reservations, with threats of demolition reportedly made against some of them.

The government rejected the allegation, while the APC attributed the accommodation difficulties to demand from dignitaries expected at the traditional title ceremony.

The unfolding dispute has also affected the ADC’s planned presidential campaign activities in Sokoto.

The party had initially scheduled its presidential campaign flag-off for Saturday, October 31, but later announced a postponement to Wednesday, November 4, citing planning and coordination considerations.

However, ADC chieftain Timothy Osadolor subsequently said the decision to shift the event was also informed by concerns about security and the possibility of violence.

He insisted that the party would retain Sokoto as the venue and expected security agencies to provide adequate protection for participants.

Addressing journalists on Sunday, Goronyo said the party remained determined to proceed with the campaign despite what it described as attempts to frustrate its activities.

He called on the police and DSS to investigate the reported attacks on party members, the incident involving Dan’iya’s convoy and allegations of intimidation against hotel operators.

The latest sealing of the campaign office adds another dimension to the dispute, although the government has based its stated justification on the unresolved ownership of the building.

With the campaign flag-off now scheduled for Wednesday, attention is expected to focus on the response of security agencies, the outcome of the police investigation into the convoy incident and the resolution of the property dispute.